Attendant circumstance utilization device

ABSTRACT

An attendant circumstance utilization device provides a function of equipment and a content appropriate to a user by considering the attendant circumstance by whom the user is accompanied, and includes an attendant ID detecting unit ( 101 ) to detect an attendant information (attendant ID) indicating by whom the user is accompanied and an equipment operation detecting unit ( 103 ) to detect an equipment operation. A history data of an attendant ID is stored in an attendant ID database ( 102 ) and a history data of an equipment operation is stored in an operation history database ( 104 ) respectively by correlating with a time of detection. An equipment operation activity particular to the user who was accompanied by the current attendant in the past time is judged by an attendant circumstance dependent operation activity judging unit ( 105 ) based on the attendant ID newly detected by the attendant ID detecting unit ( 101 ), the history data of the attendant ID in the attendant ID database ( 102 ) and the equipment operation history data in the operation history database ( 104 ). A function/content providing unit ( 106 ) provides the user with a function of equipment and a content depending on the particular equipment operation activity.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to techniques to change a function ofequipment, a content or a service providing to the user depending on bywhom the user is accompanied.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, there is a known technique which provides a user withrelevant services depending on the user's circumstances by executingsensing of user's circumstances such as location. For instance, thecurrently available technique determines the current location of theuser sequentially by way of the base stations for Global PositioningSystem (GPS) and Personal Handyphone System (PHS), gyro sensor and thelike, and predicts the likely area of traveling referring to the user'straveling history data and then provides relevant service information ofthe area. (For example, a technique described in Japanese Laid-OpenPatent Application No. 2000-293540)

However the conventional technique above enables only to provideservices which suit to user's usual activities by referring toinformation on when, where and what the user has used. And the user'sactivities are not always determined based on the preferences. The“attendant circumstance”, therefore, needs to be considered to providethe most appropriate services. The attendant circumstance of the usermeans that by whom the user is accompanied. (Someone with a user iscalled as “an attendant” or “a companion”.)

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention has been conceived in view of the above problem,and it is an object of the present invention to provide an attendantcircumstance utilization device which provides a user with the mostappropriate function of equipment, content or service depending on theuser's attendant circumstance considering above-mentioned point.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the attendantcircumstance utilization device related to the present invention is adevice for providing a user with services including provision ofinformation and rendering of a service. And the device is characterizedin that the device includes an attendant detecting unit for detecting anattendant accompanying the user and a service providing unit fordetermining a service based on the detected attendant and for providingthe user with the determined service. Accordingly it is possible for theuser to receive the most appropriate service particular to the user withan attendant.

Now the attendant circumstance utilization device further includes anequipment operation detecting unit for detecting an equipment operationperformed by the user, a storing unit for storing a history data of thedetected equipment operation and attendant information indicating theattendant detected by the attendant detecting unit when the userperforms the equipment operation, the history data being associated withthe attendant information, and a judging unit for judging an equipmentoperation activity particular to a case, where the user is accompaniedby the same attendant at a present time and in a past time, based on theattendant newly detected by the attendant detecting unit and theequipment operation history data stored in the storing unit, and theservice providing unit may provide the user with a service depending onthe particular equipment operation activity. Accordingly it is possiblefor the user to receive the most appropriate service depending on theequipment operation that performed frequently by the user accompanied bythe attendant in the past.

And the attendant circumstance utilization device further includes alocation detecting unit for detecting a current location of the user, astoring unit for storing a traveling history data of the user based onthe detected current location and the attendant information indicatingthe attendant detected by the attendant detecting unit when the userperforms the traveling, the history data being associated with theattendant information, and a judging unit for judging a destinationparticular to a case, where the user is accompanied by the sameattendant at a present time and in a past time, based on the user'scurrent location newly detected by the location detecting unit, anattendant newly detected by the attendant detecting unit and a travelinghistory data stored in the storing unit, and the service providing unitmay provide the user with services depending on the particulardestination. Accordingly it is possible for the user accompanied by theattendant to obtain the information, which is related to the place wherethe user and the attendant frequently visited in the past, before theuser and the attendant arrive the place.

The attendant circumstance utilization device further includes a servicedetecting unit for detecting a service which the user utilizes, astoring unit for storing the detected service utilization history dataand the attendant information indicating the attendant detected by theattendant detecting unit when the user utilizes the service, the historydata being associated with the attendant information, and a judging unitfor judging a service utilization particular to a case, where the useris accompanied by the same attendant at a present time and in a pasttime, based on the attendant newly detected by the attendant detectingunit and the utilization history data stored in the storing unit, andthe service providing unit may provide the user with service dependingon the particular service utilization. Accordingly it is possible forthe user accompanied by the attendant to automatically receive theservice related to the service utilized frequently by the user and theattendant in the past.

And the attendant circumstance utilization device further includes aservice detecting unit for detecting a service utilized by the user, anattendant category detecting unit for detecting a category of theattendant, a storing unit for storing a detected service utilizationhistory data and a category information indicating a category detectedby the attendant category detecting unit when the user utilizes aservice, the history data being associated with the categoryinformation, and a judging unit for judging a service utilizationparticular to a case, where a category of an attendant accompanying theuser is the same at a present time and in a past time, based on acategory newly detected by the attendant category detecting unit and theutilization history data stored in the storing unit, and the serviceproviding unit may provide the user with a service depending on theparticular service utilization. Accordingly it is possible for the useraccompanied by the attendant to receive the most appropriate servicedepending on the category of the attendant.

And the attendant circumstance utilization device further includes thenumber of attendants detecting unit for detecting the number ofattendants, a service detecting unit for detecting a service which theuser utilizes, a storing unit for storing a utilization history data ofthe detected service and a number information indicating the numberdetected by the number of attendants detecting unit when the userutilizes the service, the history data being associated with the numberinformation, and a judging unit for judging a service utilizationparticular to a case where the number of attendants accompanying theuser is the same at a present time and in a past time, based on a newlydetected number by the number of attendants detecting unit and theutilization history data stored in the storing unit, and the serviceproviding unit may provide the user with a service depending on theparticular service utilization. Accordingly it is possible for the useraccompanied by the attendant to receive the most appropriate servicedepending on the number of attendants.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, an attendantinformation detecting unit to detect the attendant information, thatindicates by whom the user is accompanied, is included, and it ispossible to provide the user with the most appropriate function ofequipment, a content and a service as it is determined to provide thefunction of the equipment, the content and the service particular to theuser's activities by the judgment of the user's activities particular tothe user with the attendant at present and in the past based on theattendant information history data, the equipment operation history dataof the user, the traveling history data and the service utilizationhistory data.

Furthermore the present invention is not only realized as the attendantcircumstance utilization device described above, but also it is realizedas the attendant circumstance utilization device using the constituentelements as steps, and also realized as a program executed by such aspersonal computer, and as a computer readable recording medium whichrecords such program.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a systemaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an attendant circumstance utilizationdevice in a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation in the first embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the detailed processes of the operation ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of history descriptors.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of equipment operation historydata including an attendant.

FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of a screen display for DTV inthe case where a user is accompanied by a friend, FIG. 7B is a diagramshowing an example of a screen display for DTV in the case where theuser is accompanied by a lover, and FIG. 7C is a diagram showing anexample of a screen display for DTV in the case where the user isaccompanied by a child.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an attendant circumstance utilizationdevice in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation in the second embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the detailed processes of the operationof FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of traveling history data withan attendant.

FIG. 12A is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of acellular phone, and FIG. 12B is a diagram showing an example of a screendisplay of a car navigation system.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an attendant circumstance utilizationdevice in a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation in the third embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the detailed processes of the operationof FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of service utilization historydata with an attendant.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of acellular phone.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an attendant circumstance utilizationdevice in a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation in the fourth embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 20A is a diagram showing a case when a coupon for a pub isdelivered to a cellular phone, and FIG. 20B is a diagram showing a casewhen a coupon for an amusement park is delivered to a cellular phone.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing an attendant circumstance utilizationdevice in a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the operation in the fifth embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of acellular phone.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for anattendant circumstance utilization device of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of the systemaccording to the present invention. The system has: home electronics 1,which can be connected to a network, including such as a DigitalTelevision (DTV), a Personal Computer (PC), a Personal DigitalAssistance (PDA, personal portable information terminal), a MDPlayer/Recorder, a DVD player/recorder; user terminals 1 a, which can beconnected to a network in mobile environment, including such as acellular phone, a car navigation system and a PDA; a Local Area Network2 (LAN) and a Wide Area Network 3 (WAN, for example for Internet) whichare configured by wired or wireless network; routers 4 for connectingLAN 2 to WAN 3; and a service provider 5 for providing services to thehome electronics 1 at home and the user terminal 1 a out of housethrough a router 4. The attendant circumstance utilization device 100provides functions of equipment, contents and services depending on bywhom the user is accompanied. The attendant circumstance utilizationdevice 100 at home is connected to LAN 2 together with different homeelectronics 1. And also the attendant circumstance utilization device100 is mounted in each user terminal 1 a.

Hereinafter, the first through the fifth embodiments related to theattendant circumstance utilization device 100 in FIG. 1 will now bedescribed.

The First Embodiment

In the first embodiment, it is considered to provide the user and anattendant with the most appropriate equipment settings and contents byspecifying the equipment operation activity particular to the user withthe attendant.

The configuration of the attendant circumstance utilization device 100in the first embodiment is shown in FIG. 2. The attendant circumstanceutilization device 100 in FIG. 2 includes an attendant ID detecting unit101, an attendant ID database 102, an equipment operation detecting unit103, an operation history database 104, an attendant circumstancedependent operation activity judging unit 105 and a function/contentproviding unit 106. For example the attendant ID detecting unit 101detects the attendant information (attendant ID) indicating by whom theuser is accompanied during the operation of the home electronics 1. Theattendant ID database 102 stores the history data of the detectedattendant ID. The equipment operation detecting unit 103 detects anequipment operation. The operation history database 104 stores thedetected equipment operation history data. The attendant ID history datais associated with the equipment operation history data each other bythe time of detection. The attendant circumstance dependent operationactivity judging unit 105 judges the equipment operation activities,which are particular to the user when the user was accompanied by thecurrent attendant in past times. The judgment is executed based on theattendant ID newly detected by the attendant ID detecting unit 101, thehistory data of the attendant ID stored in the attendant ID database 102and the equipment operation history data stored in the operation historydatabase 104. The function/content providing unit 106 provides the userwith functions of equipment and contents depending on the particularequipment operation activities.

The operation in the first embodiment configured as above now will bedescribed using the flowcharts in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

Step a1 in FIG. 3 is a detecting step of equipment operation. Theequipment operation detecting unit 103 detects the equipment operation.If the equipment operation is detected, the operation proceeds to Stepa2. Unless any equipment operation is detected, the device remains onstandby status for equipment operation.

Step a2 is a storing step of an equipment operation log. The operationdetected in Step a1 is stored in the operation history database 104.FIG. 5 shows an example of history descriptors. In the operation historydatabase 104, the operation history data such as (<DeviceID>, <Time>,<Command> and <ContentID>) shown in FIG. 6 are stored. Note that thehistory descriptors shown in FIG. 5 are commonly used in the firstthrough the fifth embodiments.

Step a3 is a detecting step of an attendant. The attendant ID detectingunit 101 detects existence or nonexistence of an attendant. If the userhas an attendant, the operation proceeds to Step a4. Unless the user hasany attendant, the operation proceeds to Step a7. When the attendant,for example, carries a wireless equipment connectable to a network suchas PDA, it is possible to identify the attendant (or the attendant'sbelongings) by means of Media Access Control (MAC) address of a wirelessLAN card. In order to detect that the attendant is located closer to theuser, the ID information such as the mail address can be exchanged withthe user by local wireless.

Step a4 is a recording step of an attendant ID. The detected attendantinformation in Step a3 is stored in the attendant ID database 102 byassociating with the operation log stored in the operation historydatabase 104 by the detected time as shown in <PersonWith> in FIG. 6.For example, the history data (1) in FIG. 6 represents that the userwatches (<Command> play) a program content (<ContentID> xxx-003-xxxxx)at the time (<Time>2002/09/28/Sat/21:53:04) on DTV (<DeviceID>DTV.xxx-net) with an attendant (<PersonWith> aaa.co.jp). The segmentshown in numbers in <ContentID>, i.e. “003” in history data (1),represents the genre number. The program genre information such asElectronic Program Guide (EPG) is encoded into the number. The “NULL” in<PersonWith> means that the user is unaccompanied.

Step a5 is a step for analyzing equipment operation activities which areparticular to the case where the user is accompanied by an attendant.The attendant circumstance dependent operation activity judging unit 105analyzes the history data related to the detected attendant ID, andspecifies user's particular operation activities in the case where theuser is with an attendant, and then the operation proceeds to Step a6.For example, the history data (1), (2) and (5) are user operation logsin the case where the user is accompanied by an attendant “aaa.co.jp” inFIG. 6, and it is obvious that the genre numbers 003 and 007 in<ContentID> are particular to the attendant. More specifically, althoughthe history data (3) and (4) are the same day of the week and the samehour with the history data (1) and (2), the user watches the contents ofgenre numbers 001 and 006 in the case where the user is unaccompanied bythe attendant “aaa.co.jp”. Additionally, although the history data (6)is the same day of the week and the same hour with the history data (5),the user watches the content of the genre number 006 in the case wherethe user is unaccompanied by the attendant “aaa.co.jp”. Accordingly,particular content information is specified when a user is accompaniedby an attendant. Similarly the equipment operation particular to thecase where the user is accompanied by an attendant can be specified. Thesequence of Step a5 will be described further in another sectionhereinafter.

Step a6 is a step for providing particular functions and contents in thecase where the user is accompanied by an attendant. The functions andcontents related to particular equipment operation activities specifiedin Step a5 are provided. For example, if the user usually watches actionmovies in the case where the user is accompanied by a friend at home,action movies are recommended out of the stored programs that areprerecorded using keyword selection. Similarly, when the user isaccompanied by a lover, the movies in a genre frequently watched arerecommended. And in the case where the user is accompanied by a child,the setting is changeable for the equipment to automatically skipchannels with contents including such as violence when the user operatesa remote control of DTV.

Step a7 is a step for analyzing equipment operation activitiesparticular to the user in the case where the user is unaccompanied byattendant. The attendant circumstance dependent operation activityjudging unit 105 specifies the equipment operation activity particularto the user, and then the operation proceeds to Step a8. The equipmentoperation activity particular to the user is specified by choosing theattendant attribute <PersonWith> being “NULL” and judging the operationactivity as a related operation log when the number of identicalattribute values for “current user operation log” and “past useroperation log” reach to a predetermined number by comparing the values.In the example in FIG. 6, it is obvious that the user prefers to watchthe content in the genre 006 from the history data (4) and (6), andprefers to listen to the music in the genre 012 with MD player/recorder(<DevideID> MD.xxx-net) from the history data (7), when the user isunaccompanied. Hence, for example, in the case where the currentoperation log <DeviceID> is “DVD.xxx-net”, the history data (4) ischosen, and where the current operation log is “MD.xxx-net”, the historydata (7) is chosen. When there are plural chosen history data, thehistory data with higher frequency for attribute value may be chosen.Alternatively, plural recommendations may be offered for user's choice.

Step a8 is a step for providing functions and contents particular to theuser. Since the user is unaccompanied, the functions and contentsrelated to equipment operation activity particular to the user areprovided. Since the user browses the contents in the genre number 001and number 006 in the history data (3), (4) and (6) in FIG. 6, TVprograms and DVD software in the same genre, therefore, are recommendedto the user.

The procedure to specify the equipment operation activity particular tothe case where the user is accompanied by an attendant in theabove-mentioned Step a5 will now be described using the flowchart inFIG. 4. The processing below is all performed by the attendantcircumstance dependent operation activity judging unit 105. Theprocessing in FIG. 4 is subject to be executed after the existence of anattendant is confirmed in Step a3 in FIG. 3.

Step a51 is a step for extracting operation logs related to the currentattendant. The operation log of an identical attribute value<PersonWith> with the attendant information detected in Step a3 in FIG.3 is chosen out of operation logs stored in the operation historydatabase 104 based on the attendant ID history data in the attendant IDdatabase 102. For example, when the user is accompanied by an attendant“aaa.co.jp” again, the history data (1), (2) and (5) in FIG. 6 arechosen and the number M is three.

Step a52 is a step for extracting operation logs not related to thecurrent attendant. The operation log of the attendant attribute<PersonWith> not including the attendant information detected in Step a3in FIG. 3 is chosen out of the operation logs stored in the operationhistory database 104 based on attendant ID history data in the attendantID database 102. For example the history data (3), (4), (6) and (7) arechosen in FIG. 6 and the number N is 4.

Step a53 is a step for comparing the attribute values between operationlogs. All of the attribute values are compared about the attributesother than attendant attribute on all combinations (3×4=12 combinationsin this case) of M pieces of “operation logs related to the currentattendant” extracted in Step a51 and N pieces of “operation logs notrelated to the current attendant” extracted in Step a52. In the examplein FIG. 6, the comparisons are performed on <DeviceID>, <Time>,<Command> and <Content ID>. The comparison on the attribute <Time> maybe performed for identical match in “time frame” (for example between 21and 22 o'clock) and “day of the week” or the comparison may be performedby considering “a predetermined range of time difference is regarded asidentical (for example ±10 min.)”.

Step a54 is a step for judging operation logs particular to the currentattendant. The operation log is judged as an “operation log particularto the current attendant”, in the case where the operation log is judgedthat at least one of the attribute values is different in the attributevalue comparison in Step a53, out of M pieces of “operation logs relatedto the current attendant” extracted in Step a51. In FIG. 6, for example,the history data (1), (2) and (5) are judged as the operation logparticular to the current attendant from the deference in <ContentID>.

Step a55 is a step for judging an operation log related to the currentuser operation. In Step a54, the operation log related to the currentuser operation is chosen out of the operation logs judged as an“operation log particular to the current attendant”. More specifically,the operation log is judged as a related operation log in the case wherethe amount of identical attribute values reach to the predeterminednumber by comparing the attribute values of “operation log particular tothe current attendant” and the attribute values of “operation log forthe current user”. In FIG. 6, for example, when the DTV is turned on,the history data (1), when “DTV.xxx-net” in <DeviceID> is identical, ischosen and the channel for a program in genre 003 of the particular<ContentID> is automatically chosen. In this case, not only the matchingof <DeviceID> but also the matching of attribute values such as <Time>and <Command> are judged, and more appropriate functions and contents tothe condition are recommended. For example, when the user operates a DVDplayer/recorder, the related history data are (2) and (5). When the dayof the week in <Time> is considered, if it is Tuesday now, the historydata (5) is chosen and the contents in genre 007 may be recommended.This method of recommendation shows just an example. Unless there is acorresponding day of the week, the genre 003 with higher browsingfrequency may be recommended, or all of the contents related to thegenre may be recommended for user's choice. When there are operationlogs related to the current user operation, the operation proceeds toStep a6 in FIG. 3. Unless there is an operation log related, theoperation proceeds to a7.

As described hereinbefore, according to the first embodiment, at themoment when the user meets an attendant, the most appropriate equipmentsetting and the contents involving the attendant can be provided byspecifying the equipment operation which is particular to the case wherethe user is accompanied by the attendant. For example, as the screendisplay of DTV1 shown in FIG. 7, if the user chooses the menu of programrecommendation, when the user is accompanied by a friend, arecommendation display of action movies is shown, which the user hasfrequently seen with the friend (FIG. 7A). When the user is accompaniedby a lover, romantic movies which the user has frequently seen with thelover are recommended in the recommendation display (FIG. 7B), and whenthe user is accompanied by a child, programs excluding adult-themedprograms are shown on the recommendation display (FIG. 7C).

The Second Embodiment

In the second embodiment, it is considered to provide the user and anattendant with the most appropriate services to the place where the userand the attendant are located, by specifying the traveling activityparticular to the user with the attendant.

The configuration of the attendant circumstance utilization device 100is shown in FIG. 8 for the second embodiment. The attendant circumstanceutilization device 100 in FIG. 8 includes an attendant ID detecting unit101, an attendant ID database 102, a location information detecting unit201, a traveling history database 202, an attendant circumstancedependent traveling predicting unit 203 and a service providing unit204. The attendant ID detecting unit 101 detects attendant information(attendant ID) indicating by whom the user, who is carrying the terminal1 a, is accompanied. The attendant ID database 102 stores the detectedattendant IDs history data. The location information detecting unit 201detects the current location of the user. The traveling history database202 stores the detected traveling history data of the user. Theattendant ID history data is associated with the user's travelinghistory data each other by the time of detection. The attendantcircumstance dependent traveling predicting unit 203 judges thedestination which is particular to the user with the current attendantin the past. The judgment is performed based on the attendant ID newlydetected by the attendant ID detecting unit 101, the user's currentlocation newly detected by the location information detecting unit 201,the history data of the attendant ID stored in the attendant ID database102 and the traveling history data stored in the traveling historydatabase 202. The service providing unit 204 provides the user withservices depending on the particular destination.

The operation in the second embodiment configured as above now will bedescribed using the flowcharts in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.

Step b1 in FIG. 9 is a step for detecting the user's location. Thelocation information detecting unit 201 detects the location information(current location) of the user. The user's location by the detection isobtainable as, for example, the longitude and latitude information fromGPS. Recently the user's location can be specified by cellular phone aswell. When the user's location is detected, the operation proceeds toStep b2. Unless the location of the user is detected, the device remainson standby status for location detection.

Step b2 is a step for storing the traveling history data. The locationinformation detected in Step b1 is stored in the traveling historydatabase 202. In this step, the location information is converted intoaddresses (for example postal code and so on) or landmarks (for example.department store, library, bookstore and so on) using geographicalinformation, and is stored. FIG. 11 shows an example of history data(<Time> and <Location>) stored in the traveling history database 202.

Step b3 is a detecting step of an attendant. The attendant ID detectingunit 101 detects existence or non-existence of the attendant. When theuser is accompanied by an attendant, the operation proceeds to Step b4.Unless the user has an attendant, the operation proceeds to Step b7. TheID information such as user and mail address may be exchanged fordetecting the attendant information.

Step b4 is a step for storing an attendant ID. The attendant informationdetected in Step b3 is stored in the attendant ID database 102 byassociating with the traveling history data stored in the travelinghistory database 202 using the time of detection as shown at<PersonWith> in FIG. 11. For example the history data (1) in FIG. 11represents that the user is accompanied by an attendant (<PersonWith>aaa.co.jp) at a time (<Time>2002/09/29/Sun/10:07:04) at a location(<Location> CoffeeShop).

Step b5 is a step for analyzing the destination which is particular tothe user with an attendant. The destination, which is particular to theuser with an attendant with detected ID, is specified by the attendantcircumstance dependent traveling predicting unit 203, and the operationproceeds to Step b6. For example, in FIG. 11, the history data (1) and(2) represent that the user has met with an attendant “aaa.co.jp” at acoffee shop (Coffee Shop) and gone to a cinema (Theater). In FIG. 11,“Frequency/Month” represents the frequency of the activities and it isshown that the user goes to a coffee shop and a cinema on Sunday twice amonth. Step b5 will be described in another section hereinafter.

Step b6 is a step for providing services depending on the destination,which is particular to the user with an attendant. The service which isappropriate to the particular destination specified in Step a5 isprovided. For example, a user terminal 1 a searches through WAN 3 forthe information related to the destination where the user frequentlyvisits with the attendant, and presents it on the terminal. In the casewhere the user terminal 1 a is a car navigation system, the necessaryinformation at the destination with the attendant is searched andpresented at the moment when the user gets on the car.

Step b7 is a step for specifying the destination particular to the userwithout an attendant. The destination particular to the user isspecified by the attendant circumstance dependent traveling predictingunit 203, and the operation proceeds to Step b8. As for the destinationparticular to the user, “NULL” in attendant attribute <PersonWith> ischosen. The attribute values <Location> of the “current user's travelinghistory data” and the “past user's traveling history data” are comparedand the identical history data are chosen. And then the travelinghistory data subsequent to the chosen traveling history data is judgedas the next destination where the user visits afterward. In FIG. 11, thehistory data (3) and (4) show that the user stays at home in themorning, and goes to a bookstore in the afternoon on Sunday when theuser is unaccompanied. For example, it is, therefore, predicted that theuser goes to a bookstore afterward when it is detected that the userstays alone at home currently.

Step b8 is a step for providing appropriate services depending on thedestination which is particular to the user. Since the user isunaccompanied, the information related to the destination particular tothe user is provided.

Now the processing flow to specify the destination particular to thecase where the user is accompanied by an attendant in Step b5 mentionedabove will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 10. The processesbelow are all executed by the attendant circumstance dependent travelingpredicting unit 203. The processing in FIG. 10 is subject to be executedafter the existence of an attendant is confirmed in Step b3 in FIG. 9.

Step b51 is a step for extracting the traveling history data related tothe current attendant. The traveling history data of an identicalattribute value <PersonWith> with the attendant information detected inStep b3 in FIG. 9 is chosen out of the traveling history data stored inthe traveling history database 202 based on the attendant ID historydata in the attendant ID database 102. For example the user isaccompanied by the attendant “aaa.co.jp” again, the history data (1) and(2) in FIG. 10 are chosen, and the number of M is four (since the sametraveling history data being seen twice a month).

Step b52 is a step for extracting traveling history data not related tothe current attendant. The traveling history data of attendant attribute<PersonWith> not including the attendant information detected in Step b3in FIG. 9 is chosen out of the traveling history data stored in thetraveling history database 202 based on the attendant ID history data inthe attendant ID database 102. For example the history data (3) and (4)in FIG. 11 are chosen, and the number of N is four (since the sametraveling history data being seen twice a month)

Step b53 is a step for comparing the attribute values between travelinghistory data. All of the attribute values are compared about theattribute other than the attendant attribute on all of the combinationsof M pieces of “traveling history data related to the current attendant”extracted in Step b51 and N pieces of “traveling history data notrelated to the current attendant” extracted in Step b52 (4×4=16combinations in this case). In an example in FIG. 11, the comparison isperformed on <Time> and <Location>. The comparison on the attribute<Time> may be performed for identical match in “time slot” (for example.between 10 and 11 o'clock) and “day of the week” or the comparison maybe performed by considering “a predetermined range of time difference isregarded as identical (for example. ±10 mins.)”. And also the comparisonfor <Location> may be performed considering that the character string isidentical for postal code and name of landmark, and a predeterminedrange of longitude and latitude difference is regarded as identical forthe longitude and latitude information obtainable from GPS.

Step b54 is a step for judging a traveling history data which isparticular to the current attendant. The traveling history data isjudged as “a traveling history data particular to the currentattendant”, where at least one of the attribute values is judged asdifferent attribute value in the attribute value comparison in Step b53out of M pieces of “traveling history data related to the currentattendant” extracted in Step b51. In the example in FIG. 11, the historydata (1) and (2) are the traveling history data particular to thecurrent attendant because the <Location> is not identical.

Step b55 is a step for judging a traveling history data related to thecurrent traveling history data. The history data related to the currenttraveling history data is chosen out of the traveling history datajudged as “traveling history data particular to the current attendant”in Step b54. More specifically, regarding attribute value <Location>,the traveling history data is chosen, where “traveling history data ofthe current user” and “traveling history data particular to the currentattendant” are identical by comparison. And then the traveling historydata which is subsequent to the traveling history data chosen is judgedas the next destination where the user visits with the current attendantafterward. In the example in FIG. 11, it is predicted that when thecurrent user is in a coffee shop with the attendant “aaa.co.jp”, theuser goes to a cinema with the attendant from the history data (2). Theinformation related to movies, therefore, is provided, and also thelocation of the cinema where the movie is shown can be set up in a carnavigation system. This information providing method is just an example,and when plural <Location> are chosen, the information on thedestination with more frequency can be recommended. Or the plural pasttraveling history data of that day can be reflected for decision. Forexample, when there are plural available recommendations such asboutiques and cinemas as the destination after a coffee shop, the pluralplaces where the user visited before the coffee shop are taken intoconsideration. For example it can be analyzed that the user visits morefrequently to a cinema after visiting a bookstore followed by adepartment store in the history data. And then the next destination ispredicted and the related information is provided. If the travelinghistory data related to the current traveling history data is available,the operation proceeds to Step b6 in FIG. 9, and unless the travelinghistory data related to the current traveling history data is available,the operation proceeds to Step b7 in FIG. 9.

As mentioned above, according to the second embodiment, the servicesthat are appropriate to the destination for the user with an attendantcan be provided, by means of specifying the destination particular tothe user with the specific attendant instantly after the user meets theattendant. For example, a screen display on a cellular phone 1 a isshown in FIG. 12 A, if the user being accompanied by an attendantsearches for information on a recommended place for pleasure using thecellular phone 1 a, it is shown that the information on the places wherethe user frequently visits with the specific attendant (for example.movie information shown in a cinema) in the screen. And also the screendisplay on a car navigation 1 a in FIG. 12A shows the information on theplaces where the user frequently visits with the specific attendant atthe moment when the user gets on the car with the attendant (forexample. information on an amusement park).

The Third Embodiment

In the third embodiment, it is considered to provide the user and theattendant with services depending on the place where the user with theattendant is located and the service utilization history data byspecifying the service utilization activity that is particular to theuser with an attendant.

The configuration of the attendant circumstance utilization device 100in the third embodiment is shown in FIG. 13. The attendant circumstanceutilization device 100 in FIG. 13 includes an attendant ID detectingunit 101, an attendant ID database 102, a location information detectingunit 201, a traveling history database 202, a service utilizationdetecting unit 301, a service utilization history database 302, anattendant circumstance dependent service utilization activity judgingunit 303 and a service providing unit 304. The attendant ID detectingunit 101 detects attendant information (attendant ID) indicating by whomthe user, carrying the terminal 1 a for example, is accompanied. Theattendant ID database 102 stores detected attendant ID history data. Thelocation information detecting unit 201 detects the current location ofthe user. The traveling history database 202 stores the detectedtraveling history data for the user. The service utilization detectingunit 301 detects the services which the user used. The serviceutilization history database 302 stores the detected service utilizationhistory data of the user. The history data of the attendant ID,traveling history data of the user and the service utilization historydata are associated each other by the time of detection. The attendantcircumstance dependent service utilization activity judging unit 303judges the service utilization activity which is particular to the userin the case where the user has stayed with the current attendant at thecurrent location where the user stayed before. The judgment is performedon the basis of the attendant ID newly detected by the attendant IDdetecting unit 101, the user's current location newly detected by thelocation information detecting unit 201, the history data of theattendant ID stored in the attendant ID database 102, the travelinghistory data stored in the traveling history database 202 and thetraveling history data stored in the service utilization historydatabase 302. Subsequently the service providing unit 304 provides theuser with services depending on the service utilization activitiesparticular to the case when the user has stayed with the currentattendant at the current location where the user stayed before.

The operation of the third embodiment configured as above now will beexplained using the flowcharts in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15.

Step c1 in FIG. 14 is a detecting step of the user location. Thelocation information detecting unit 201 detects the user's locationinformation (current location), as is the case with the secondembodiment. When the user's location is detected, the operation proceedsto Step c2, and unless the location is detected, the device remains onstandby status for location detection.

Step c2 is a step for saving the traveling history data. The locationinformation detected in Step c1 is stored in the traveling historydatabase 202. An example (<Time> and <Location>) of the history datastored in the traveling history database 202 is shown in FIG. 16.

Step c3 is a detecting step of the service utilization. The serviceutilization detecting unit 301 detects a service used by the user.

Step c4 is a saviing step of the service utilization history data. Theservice utilization history data detected in Step c3 is stored in theservice utilization history database 302. An example of the history data(<ServiceID>, <ItemID> and <Cost>) stored in the service utilizationhistory database 302 is shown in FIG. 16. In the history data (1) to(3), the <ServiceID> shows that the user uses video rental service.

Step c5 is a step for detecting an attendant. The attendant ID detectingunit 101 detects the existence or non-existence of an attendant as isthe case with the second embodiment. When an attendant is detected, theoperation proceeds to Step c6, unless the user has an attendant, theoperation proceeds to Step c9.

Step c6 is a saving step of an attendant ID. The attendant informationdetected in Step c5 is stored in the attendant ID database 102 byassociating with the traveling history data stored in the travelinghistory database 202 by the time of the detection and the serviceutilization history data stored in the service utilization historydatabase 302, as shown in <PersonWith> in FIG. 16. The history data (1)in FIG. 16, for example, represents that the user rent (<ServiceID>video Rental) a video (<ItemID> xxx-030-xxxxx) with a cost (<Cost> Y300)with an attendant (<PersonWith> aaa.co.jp) at a location (<Location>xxx-xxxx) at a time (<Time>2002/09/07/Sat/19:00:04).

Step c7 is a step for analyzing a service utilization particular to theuser with an attendant. The attendant circumstance dependent serviceutilization activity judging unit 303 specifies the service utilizationactivity, which is particular to the user with an attendant holding adetected ID, and the operation proceeds to Step c8. In FIG. 16, thefrequency of the video rental service (Frequency/Month) utilization is13 times per month, and it is observed that when the user is accompaniedby an attendant “aaa.co.jp”, the frequency is very high. The processingof Step c7 will be described in another section hereinafter.

Step c8 is a step for providing appropriate services depending on thelocation and the service utilization activity particular to the userwith an attendant. The appropriate services to the particular locationand the service utilization which are specified in Step c5 are provided.For example a coupon for a video in a genre rent frequently can bedelivered timely to the terminal 1 a carried by the user, when the useris located near the video rental store with the attendant “aaa.co.jp”,by managing the service utilization history data, the user location andthe attendant ID in the service provider 5.

Step c9 is a step for analyzing the service utilization activity whichis particular to the user without attendant. The attendant circumstancedependent service utilization activity judging unit 303 specifies aservice utilization activity particular to the user, and the operationproceeds to Step c10. Regarding the service utilization particular tothe user, “NULL” in attendant attribute <PersonWith> is chosen. And thenthe history data is chosen, where “current user service utilizationhistory data” and “past user service utilization history data” areidentical by comparing the attribute values <Location>, and the storedattribute value <ServiceID> is specified at the same time as the serviceutilization particular to the user at the location.

Step c10 is a step for providing appropriate services depending on theservice utilization activity particular to the user. Since the user isunaccompanied, the services related to the location and the serviceutilization activity particular to the user are provided.

The procedure in Step c7 above to specify the service utilizationactivity particular to the user with an attendant now will be describedusing the flowchart in FIG. 15. The processes below are all performed bythe attendant circumstance dependent service utilization activityjudging unit 303. The processing in FIG. 15 is subject to be executedafter the existence of an attendant is confirmed in Step c5 in FIG. 14.

Step c71 is a step for extracting the service utilization history datarelated to the current attendant. The service utilization history dataof identical attribute value <PersonWith> with the attendant informationdetected in Step c5 in FIG. 14 is chosen out of the service utilizationhistory data stored in the service utilization history database 302based on the attendant ID history data in the attendant ID database 102.For example when the user is accompanied by the attendant “aaa.co.jp”again, the history data (1), (2), (3) and so on in FIG. 16 are chosen,and thus the number of M is 13 (since there are 13 times of the sameservice utilization history data per month).

Step c72 is a step for extracting the service utilization history datanot related to the current attendant. The service utilization historydata of the attendant attribute <PersonWith> not including the attendantinformation detected in Step c5 in FIG. 14 is chosen out of the serviceutilization history data stored in the service utilization historydatabase 302 based on the attendant ID history data in the attendant IDdatabase 102. For example the history data (14) and so on is chosen,which is related to pizza (Pizza) delivery service (Delivery service) inFIG. 16, and thus the number of N is eight (since there are eight timesof the same service utilization history data per month)

Step c73 is a step for comparing attribute values between serviceutilization history data. All of the attribute values are compared aboutthe attribute other than the attendant attribute (13×8=104 combinationsin this case) on all of the combinations of M pieces of “the serviceutilization history data related to the current attendant” extracted inStep c71 and N pieces of “the service utilization history data notrelated to the current attendant” extracted in Step c72. In an examplein FIG. 16, the comparison on <Time>, <Location>, <Service ID>, <ItemID>and <Cost> are performed. The comparison on the attribute <Time> may beperformed for identical match for “time slot” (for example. between 19and 20 o'clock) and “day of the week” or the comparison may be performedby considering “a predetermined range of time difference is regarded asidentical (for example. ±10 min.). And also the comparison for<Location> may be performed considering that the identical match of thecharacter string is identical for postal code and name of landmark, anda predetermined range of longitude and latitude difference is consideredas identical for the longitude and latitude information obtainable fromGPS. While, regarding <Cost>, a predetermined range of rate differencemay be allowed to consider as identical, otherwise exact match judgmentmay be performed.

Step c74 is a step for judging the service utilization history dataparticular to the current attendant. A service utilization history datais judged as “service utilization history data particular to the currentattendant”, when the service utilization history data is judged that atleast one of the attribute value is different in attribute valuecomparison in Step c73 out of the M pieces of “the service utilizationhistory data related to the current attendant” extracted in Step c71. Inan example in FIG. 16, it is judged that at least the history data (1),(2) and (3) are the service history data particular to the currentattendant, since <Location>, <ServiceID>, <ItemID> and <Cost> are notidentical. And when the user is accompanied by “aaa.co.jp”, it isspecified that the user and the attendant go to a location “xxx-xxxx” ataround 19 o'clock and utilize a video rental service to rent a video ofgenre 003.

Step c75 is a step for judging the service utilization history datarelated to the current traveling history data. The history data relatedto the user's current location <Location> is chosen out of the historydata judged as “the service utilization history data particular to thecurrent attendant” in Step b54. More specifically, firstly the identicalhistory data are chosen by comparing “the traveling history data of thecurrent user” and “the traveling history data particular to the currentattendant” for the attribute value <Location>. And then the serviceutilization saved in the history data chosen is specified as thespecific service used at the current location when the user isaccompanied by the current attendant. In an example in FIG. 16, when itis detected that the user is accompanied by the attendant “aaa.co.jp”and is located near the location “xxx-xxxx” currently, a video rentalservice, which is frequently used by them, is specified. And theinformation is notified to a video rental store and the service provider5 to which the video rental store subscribes, and also if the serviceprovider 5 manages the service utilization history data, the userlocation and the attendant ID, a coupon of a video in a genre rentfrequently can, therefore, be delivered timely to the terminal 1 acarried by the user, when it is detected that the user is accompanied bythe user “aaa.co.jp” and is located near the video rental store. Whenthere is a service utilization history data related to the currenttraveling history data, the operation proceeds to Step c8 in FIG. 14,and unless there is a service utilization history data, the operationproceeds to Step c9 in FIG. 14.

As described above, in the third embodiment, it is possible to timelyprovide the frequently used service at the frequently visiting locationwith the attendant by specifying the attendant, the current location andthe service utilization history data. For example, as shown in thescreen display of the cellular phone 1 a in FIG. 17, when the user isaccompanied by the attendant and is located near the video rental store,a coupon etc. of a video in a genre which the user and the attendantrent frequently at the video rental store is delivered to the cellularphone 1 a carried by the user through e-mail and so on.

The Fourth Embodiment

In the fourth embodiment, it is considered that the user and theattendant are able to obtain appropriate information depending on thecategory of the attendant by notifying the service provider 5 of thecategory of the attendant with the user. For example, the user notifiesthe service provider 5 of the category of the current attendant(choosing from friend, boss and family so on) and the current location,and for example a coupon from a nearby store (for example. restaurant)suitable for the category can be delivered.

The configuration of the attendant circumstance utilization device 100in the fourth embodiment is shown in FIG. 18. The difference betweenFIG. 13 for the third embodiment and FIG. 18 is that an attendantcategory detecting unit 401 is added to detect the attendant categoryinformation.

The operation of the fourth embodiment configured as above now will beexplained using the flowchart in FIG. 19. At the user terminal 1 a, inStep d1, the user accesses to WAN 3 with the own terminal 1 a, and thenfor example the user chooses a homepage of coupon delivery. In thisstep, the user ID, the current location information and the category ofthe attendant are detected respectively and transmitted to the serviceprovider 5 in Step d2 to Step d4. On the other hand, the serviceprovider 5 receives respectively the user ID, the current locationinformation and the category of the attendant transmitted from the userterminal 1 a in Step e1 to Step e3. And then the service provider 5searches an electronic coupon available depending on the attendantcategory and the current location in Step e4. Once an electronic couponsuitable for the attendant category and the current location is searchedout, the coupon is delivered to the user terminal 1 a in Step e5, whilethe user terminal 1 a receives the coupon in Step d5.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, by means ofnotifying the service provider 5 of the category of the attendant of theuser, the user is able to obtain appropriate information depending onthe category of the attendant. For example, like the screen display of acellular phone 1 a in FIG. 20, by notifying the service provider 5 ofthat the user is accompanied by a co-worker using the cellular phone 1a, a coupon which can be used at a pub nearby is delivered to thecellular phone 1 a by electronic mail (FIG. 20A). Also by notifying theservice provider 5 of that the user is accompanied by family, a couponwhich can be used at an amusement park nearby is delivered to thecellular phone 1 a by electronic mail (FIG. 20B).

The Fifth Embodiment

In the fifth embodiment, it is considered that the user and theattendants are able to obtain appropriate information depending on thenumber of attendants by notifying service provider 5 of the number ofattendants with the user. For example, when the number of attendants andthe current location are notified to the service provider 5, theservices can be provided such as notification of the table availabilityof a restaurant and delivery of coupons for that group size.

The configuration of the attendant circumstance utilization device 100in the fifth embodiment is shown in FIG. 21. The difference between thethird embodiment in FIG. 13 and the fifth embodiment in FIG. 21 is thatthe number of attendants detecting unit 501 is added.

The operation of the fifth embodiment configured as above now will bedescribed with a flowchart in FIG. 22. At the user terminal 1 a, in Stepf1, the user accesses to WAN 3 with user's own terminal 1 a. Forexample, a homepage for coupon delivery is chosen. In this step, in Stepf2 to Step f4, the user ID, the current location information and thenumber of the attendants are detected respectively and are transmittedto the service provider 5. On the other hand, the service provider 5receives the user ID, the current location information and theinformation on the number of the attendants respectively transmittedfrom the user terminal 1 a in Step g1 to Step g3. Then the serviceprovider 5 searches for available electronic coupons depending on thenumber of attendants and the current location in Step g4. Once anelectronic coupon appropriate to the number of attendants and thecurrent location is found, the coupon is transmitted to the userterminal 1 a in Step g5. And the user terminal 1 a receives the couponin Step f5.

As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, by notifying theservice provider 5 of the number of attendants with the user, theservices depending on the number of attendants can be provided. Thescreen display on the cellular phone 1 a shown in FIG. 23 is an example.If the user notifies the service provider 5 of that the user isaccompanied by four attendants by the cellular phone 1 a, theinformation is delivered to the cellular phone 1 a, which recommendsavailable restaurants for 5 people or restaurants offering discount fora group of 5 people and the like.

Hereinbefore, the description of the attendant circumstance utilizationdevice related to the present invention is shown on the basis of fivedifferent embodiments, however, the present invention is not limited tothese embodiments.

For example, the attendant circumstance utilization device including aconfiguration by combining these embodiments properly is deemed to beone of the embodiments. As shown in FIG. 24 as an example of aconfiguration, the present invention may be realized as one of theattendant circumstance utilization device including all of theconfiguration elements that are included in the attendant circumstanceutilization device shown in the first through fifth embodiments. In FIG.24, a utilization activity judgment predicting unit 602 is a processingunit combining the attendant circumstance dependent operation activityjudging unit 105 in the first embodiment, the attendant circumstancedependent traveling predicting unit 203 in the second embodiment and theattendant circumstance dependent service utilization activity judgingunit 303 in the third through the fifth embodiments. The serviceproviding unit 601 is a processing unit combining the function/contentproviding unit 106 in the first embodiment, the service providing unit204 in the second embodiment and the service providing unit 304 in thethird through the fifth embodiments.

The attendant circumstance utilization device related to the presentinvention is, therefore, to provide a user with the different types ofservices depending on the activities which are particularly seen in thecases (1) an attendant accompanying a user, (2) a category of anattendant, (3) the number of the attendants, (4) the location of a user,(5) the type of the services which a user uses and (6) any combinationsof these cases, in other words (1) user's equipment operation, (2)user's destination and (3) the service which a user used and so on.Those all elements may be properly chosen and determined depending onthe type of the devices and the type of the systems and so on applied tothe attendant circumstance utilization device related to the presentinvention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention can be used as an attendant circumstanceutilization device for controlling an equipment automatically and alsofor delivering a content and other information to the user's equipmentdepending on an attendant accompanying a user, for example, theattendant circumstance utilization device is applicable to such as acellular phone equipment, a car navigation system, a PDA and a homeserver and so on.

1-11. (canceled)
 12. An attendant circumstance utilization device, forproviding a user with at least one service from among services includingprovision of information, setting of equipment and rendering of aservice, said device comprising: an attendant detecting unit operable todetect an attendant accompanying the user; a circumstance detecting unitoperable to detect at least one of: i) a traveling location of theattendant accompanying the user or the user and the attendantaccompanying the user, ii) an equipment operation and iii) a utilizedservice; a storing unit operable to store attendant informationindicating the attendant detected by said attendant detecting unit byassociating with at least one of the utilization history data among thetraveling location, the equipment operation and the utilized servicedetected by said circumstance detecting unit; and a service providingunit operable to determine a service to be provided to the user based onthe newly detected attendant by said attendant detecting unit and theutilization history data stored in said storing unit, and to provide theuser with the determined service.
 13. The attendant circumstanceutilization device according to claim 12, wherein said circumstancedetecting unit is operable to detect an equipment operation by the user,and said storing unit is operable to store history data of the detectedequipment operation by associating with the attendant informationindicating the attendant detected by said attendant detecting unit whenthe user performs the equipment operation, said attendant circumstanceutilization device further comprises, a judging unit operable to judgean equipment operation activity particular to a case, where the user isaccompanied by the same attendant at a present time and in a past time,based on the attendant newly detected by said attendant detecting unitand the equipment operation history data stored in said storing unit,and said service providing unit is operable to execute at least one ofprovision of information and setting of equipment depending on theparticular equipment operation activity.
 14. The attendant circumstanceutilization device according to claim 12, wherein said circumstancedetecting unit is operable to detect a current location of the user, andsaid storing unit is operable to store traveling history data of theuser based on the detected current location by associating with theattendant information indicating the attendant detected by saidattendant detecting unit when the user performs the traveling, saidattendant circumstance utilization device further comprises, a judgingunit operable to judge a destination particular to a case, where theuser is accompanied by the same attendant at a present time and in apast time, based on the user's current location newly detected by saidcircumstance detecting unit, the attendant newly detected by saidattendant detecting unit and the traveling history data stored in saidstoring unit, wherein said service providing unit is operable to executeat least one of provision of information and setting of equipmentdepending on the particular destination.
 15. The attendant circumstanceutilization device according to claim 12, wherein said circumstancedetecting unit is operable to detect a service which the user utilizes,and said storing unit is operable to store the detected serviceutilization history data by associating with an attendant informationindicating the attendant detected by said attendant detecting unit whenthe user utilizes the service, said attendant circumstance utilizationdevice further comprises, a judging unit operable to judge a serviceutilization particular to a case, where the user is accompanied by thesame attendant at a present time and in a past time, based on theattendant newly detected by said attendant detecting unit and theutilization history data stored in said storing unit, wherein saidservice providing unit is operable to provide the user with at least oneservice from among services including provision of information, settingof equipment and rendering of a service depending on the particularservice utilization.
 16. The attendant circumstance utilization deviceaccording to claim 15, wherein said circumstance detecting unit isfurther operable to detect a current location of the user, said storingunit is operable to store the traveling history data of the user basedon the detected current location by associating with the utilizationhistory data and the attendant information, said judging unit isoperable to judge a service utilization particular to a case, where theuser is accompanied by the same attendant and also is located at thesame location at a present time and in a past time, based on the currentlocation of the user newly detected by said circumstance detecting unit,the attendant newly detected by said attendant detecting unit and theutilization history data stored in said storing unit, and said serviceproviding unit is operable to provide the user with at least one servicefrom among services including provision of information, setting ofequipment and rendering of a service depending on the particular serviceutilization.
 17. The attendant circumstance utilization device accordingto claim 12, wherein said circumstance detecting unit is operable todetect a service which the user utilizes and also to detect a categoryof the attendant, said storing unit is operable to store the detectedservice utilization history data by associating with the categoryinformation indicating the category newly detected by said circumstancedetecting unit when the user utilizes the service, said attendantcircumstance utilization device further comprises, a judging unitoperable to judge a service utilization particular to a case, where thecategory of the attendant accompanying the user is the same at a presenttime and in a past time, based on the category newly detected by saidcircumstance detecting unit and the utilization history data stored insaid storing unit, said service providing unit is operable to providethe user with at least one service from among services includingprovision of information, setting of equipment and rendering of aservice depending on the particular service utilization.
 18. Theattendant circumstance utilization device according to claim 17, whereinsaid circumstance detecting unit is further operable to detect a currentlocation of the user, said storing unit is operable to store thetraveling history data of the user based on the detected currentlocation by associating with the utilization history data and thecategory information, said judging unit is operable to judge a serviceutilization particular to a case, where the category of the attendantaccompanying the user is the same and also is located at the samelocation at a present time and in a past time, based on the currentlocation of the user newly detected by said circumstance detecting unit,the attendant category newly detected by said circumstance detectingunit and the utilization history data stored in said storing unit, andsaid service providing unit is operable to provide the user with atleast one service from among provision of information, setting ofequipment and rendering of a service depending on the particular serviceutilization.
 19. The attendant circumstance utilization device accordingto claim 12, wherein said circumstance detecting unit is operable todetect a service which the user utilizes and to detect the number of theattendants, and said storing unit is operable to store utilizationhistory data of the detected service by associating with the numberinformation indicating the number detected by said circumstancedetecting unit when the user utilizes the service, said attendantcircumstance utilization device further comprises, a judging unitoperable to judge a service utilization particular to a case, where thenumber of the attendants accompanying the user is the same at a presenttime and in a past time, based on the number newly detected by saidcircumstance detecting unit and the utilization history data stored insaid storing unit, said service providing unit is operable to providethe user with at least one service from among services includingprovision of information, setting of equipment and rendering of aservice depending on the particular service utilization.
 20. Theattendant circumstance utilization device according to claim 19, whereinsaid circumstance detecting unit is further operable to detect a currentlocation of the user, said storing unit is operable to store thetraveling history data of the user by associating with the utilizationhistory data and the number information based on the detected currentlocation, said judging unit is operable to judge a service utilizationparticular to a case, where the number of the attendants accompanyingthe user is the same and also the user is located at the same locationat a present time and in a past time, based on the current location ofthe user newly detected by said circumstance detecting unit, the numberof attendants newly detected by said circumstance detecting unit and theutilization history data stored in said storing unit, and said serviceproviding unit is operable to provide the user with at least one servicefrom among services including provision of information, setting ofequipment and rendering of a service depending on the particular serviceutilization.
 21. An attendant circumstance utilization method, forproviding a user with at least one service from among services includingprovision of information, setting of equipment and rendering of aservice, comprising: an attendant detecting step of detecting anattendant accompanying the user; a circumstance detecting step ofdetecting at least one of: i) a traveling location of the attendantaccompanying the user or the user and the attendant accompanying theuser, ii) an equipment operation and iii) a utilized service; a storingstep of storing, into a storage unit, an attendant informationindicating the attendant detected by said attendant detecting step byassociating with at least one of utilization history data from among atraveling location, an equipment operation and a utilized servicedetected by said circumstance detecting step; and a service providingstep of determining a service to be provided to the user based on anattendant newly detected by said attendant detecting step and theutilization history data stored into the storage unit, and of providingthe user with the determined service.
 22. A program, used for a devicewhich provides a user with at least one service from among servicesincluding provision of information, setting of equipment and renderingof a service, said program causing a computer to execute: an attendantdetecting step of detecting an attendant accompanying the user; acircumstance detecting step of detecting at least one of: i) a travelinglocation of the attendant accompanying the user or the user and theattendant accompanying the user, ii) an equipment operation and iii) autilized service; a storing step of storing, into a storage unit, anattendant information indicating the attendant detected by saidattendant detecting step by associating with at least one of utilizationhistory data from among a traveling location, an equipment operation anda utilized service detected by said circumstance detecting step; and aservice providing step of determining a service to be provided to theuser based on an attendant newly detected by said attendant detectingstep and a utilization history stored into the storage unit, and forproviding the user with the determined service.
 23. The attendantcircumstance utilization device according to claim 13, wherein saidjudging unit is operable to judge an operation activity of choosing acontent, which is utilized only in the case of a combination of the userand an attendant newly detected by said attendant detecting unit, as theequipment operation activity, said service providing unit is operable toprovide the user with a content choice by an attribute as the service.24. The attendant circumstance utilization device according to claim 13,wherein said judging unit is operable to judge a setting operationactivity for an equipment, which comes about only in the case of acombination of the user and an attendant newly detected by saidattendant detecting unit, as the equipment operation activity.
 25. Theattendant circumstance utilization device according to claim 13, whereinsaid judging unit is operable to judge a function choice activity for anequipment, which come about only in the case of a combination of theuser and an attendant newly detected by said attendant detecting unit,as the equipment operation activity.